Stumbling upon a decomposing body in the Gunnison National Forest, the hiker alerted authorities who were later on scene to investigate. In addition to the body that was found out in the open, authorities later found two more bodies inside a tent close by.
It was later confirmed that the deceased were Christine Vance, 41; Rebecca Vance, 42, and Rebecca’s 14-year-old son.
The trio left civilization about a year ago with plans to live off the grid, far away from the trenches of modern society. The unfortunate reality for the group was that they had very little experience in the outdoors and were undoubtedly under prepared for their new life.
Given the extreme cold of the Colorado winter, Gunnison County coroner Michael Barnes made the estimation that the family perished sometime over the course of the winter.
“I wonder if winter came on quickly and suddenly they were just in survival mode in the tent,” Barnes told the AP. “They had a lot of literature with them about outdoor survival and foraging and stuff like that. But it looked like they supplied at a grocery store.”
At the campsite, empty food containers and a partially built lean-to were found but authorities said the family had no access to a vehicle or firearms.
Rebecca and Christine’s step-sister Trevala Jara was vehemently against the adventure from the start. According to reports, she expressed her distaste for their new life when it was announced that the two women could no longer bear the confines of modern society.
“You can’t go on the internet and watch videos on how to live off the grid, and then actually do it, if you have no experience,” Jara said. “You just can’t do that. They died because they weren’t prepared.”
